1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to glider/three-way recliner chairs, and more particularly to the carriage mechanisms thereof which support the seat, backrest, footrest and legrest of the chairs above a flooring surface and enable the chairs to operate in the desired fashion.
2. The Prior Art
Glider/three-way recliner chairs are well known in the furniture industry. The carriage mechanisms in such chairs support the frame, seat, backrest, footrest and legrest above a flooring surface and enable the chairs to operate as desired, i.e., to either be in an upright state (the carriage mechanism being in a retracted condition), during which the chair can be moved by an occupant in a gliding forward and rearward fashion, or be converted to an "open" state (the carriage mechanism shifting to an intermediate extended condition), during which any gliding movement of the chair will be stopped, or be converted to a reclined state (the carriage mechanism shifting to a fully extended condition). Such glider/three-way recliner chairs are very desirable because the seats thereof do not move more than a few inches upwardly or downwardly relative to the flooring surface during gliding movement, thus reducing the likelihood that an occupant's feet will be lifted off the flooring surface during use (as can occur with rocker/recliner chairs).
Unfortunately, glider/three-way recliner chairs have not been as popular with consumers as rocker/recliner chairs. This is because currently available glider/three-way recliner chairs do not always operate in a satisfactory fashion. Characterized by a complicated construction and the use of a large number of link elements, the carriage mechanisms thereof do not always shift to an extended condition (open state of the chair) or a fully extended condition (reclined state of the chair) properly. In this regard, if an occupant attempts to convert the chair into an open state when the chair is at a rearward point during its gliding motion, the carriage mechanism will shift to its intermediate extended condition at a very high angle, and if the chair is then converted to a reclined state, the occupant's weight will tend to cause the chair to tip over backwardly. Or if the chair is converted to an open state at certain other points along its glide path (other than its rest point), the carriage mechanism will jam in a partially extended condition and will not shift to its fully extended condition. In this event, an occupant's only recourse is to return the chair to an upright state and to start again. These are serious disadvantages to the desirability of owning currently available glider/three-way recliner chairs.
It should also be mentioned that currently available carriage mechanisms for glider/three-way recliner chairs utilize many linkage elements, in part because they require the use of positive locking linkages to prevent the chairs from gliding when opened or reclined. The elimination of such positive locking linkages would be a distinct advantage, both in reducing costs and in reducing the chances that carriage mechanism failure can occur.